Shoe with hollow welt for detachable upper



Sept. 4, 1956 SHOE WITH HOLLOW WELT FOR Filed Aug. 4, 1952 H. W.GARDINER BY M DETACHABLE UPPER 2 Sheets-Sheet l you/420 w; 6420/4/52 1 NV EN TOR.

107' 7' GENE 4 5 Sept. 4, 1956 H. w. GARDINER SHOE WITH HOLLOW WELT' FORDETACHABLE UPPER Filed Aug. 4, 1952 2 Sheis-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

United States Piltflfliitv O H 2,761,224 SHOE WITH HOLLOW WELT FORDETA'CHABLE UPPER Howard W. Gardiner, Los Angeles, Calif. ApplicationAugust 4, 1952, Serial No. 302,515

3 Claims. (Cl. 3611.5)

This invention relates to footwear and is particularly directed toimprovements in shoes, sandals, slippers, etc., having detachableuppers. It has been proposed heretofore to provide shoes of varioustypes and styles having uppers which can be detached from the sole orlower portion of the shoe in order that various styles and colors ofuppers can be employed with a given sole or lower portion of the shoe.Such proposals have not met with commercial acceptance, however, becausethe connecting devices have been unreliable, diflicult to operate andunattractive. Despite the disadvantages inherent in prior constructions,the general scheme of providing interchangeable uppers for shoes hasconsiderable merit since it enables a single sole, base or platform tobe used with a large varietyof relatively inexpensive uppers, therebyenabling the wearer to use the shoes with garments of different colorsand designs without requiring separate pairs of shoes to match each ofthe various garments.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improvedform ofconnection between the upper and lower parts of the shoe, whichconnection is unobtrusive and does not detract from the appearance, iseasy to operate, reliable in action and which is particularly adaptedfor economical manufacture on a quantity basis.

In accordance .with my invention,.I provide a hollow welt having atraverse track or channel which extends This welt may be fastened in anyconventional way to the insole, outsole or platform. The traverse trackor channel includes an elongated cavity within the welt and a continuous narrow slot communicating with the cavity. A T member is securedto each end of the shoe upper and this T member is slidably mountedwithin the traverse track. An enlarged head on the T member ispositioned within the cavity and a narrow shank projects upward throughthe continuous slot. At one or more locations on the welt the slot iswidened to permit insertion and withdrawal of the T members. The variousadvantageous features of my invention will be more apparent from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment of myinvention.

in the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective View of a shoe construction embodying myinvention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, partly in section.

Figure 3 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the lines 33 asshown in Figure 1.

Figure 3A is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a modification.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the lines 4--4 asshown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing a preferred form of connectionfitting.

Figure 6 is a view of the toe encircling portion of the upper, detachedfrom the lower portion of the shoe.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the lines 7--7 asshown on Figure 6.

2,761,224 Patented Sept. 4,1956

Figure 8 shows a modified form of shoe or sandal embodying my invention.

Figure 9 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 showing a modified formof connection device.

Referring to the drawings, the shoe generally designated,

10 may be provided with a platform 11, an outsole 12, insole 13 andhollow welt 14. The hollow welt may be secured to the platform 11 by anyconvenient means such as, for example, by staples 15. The welt 14 isalso attached to the insole 13 by any convenient means such as, forexample, by adhesives.

The upper portion of the shoe, hereinafter sometimes called the upper16, may comprise a single continuous member, or, as shown in thedrawings may comprise two separate portions. The first of these,designated 17, encircles the toes of the wearer while the second, designated l8, encircles the ankle. Each of these units of the upper isprovided with engagement means at its ends for cooperative engagementwith the traverse track or channel 19 provided on the hollow welt 14.

As shown in Figure 3, the traverse track or channel 19 includes acentral elongated cavity 20 within the welt 14, together with a narrowcontinuous slot 21 formed between the inwardly directed lips 22 on thewelt. The channel engagement means at each end of the uppers 17 and 18includes an element 23 having a head 24 in the shape of an inverted T,as at 62 in Figure 9. The shank 25 extends through the slot 21 and isjoined integrally with the outwardly directed flanges forming the head24. The width of the flange of the head 24 is greater than the width ofthe slot 21. The elements 23 are installed in position by inserting theheads thereof through the en-.

largements 26 provided in the channel 19, as indicated in phantom linesat the center of Figure 1. The width of these enlargements 26 issufficiently great to permit endwise insertion of the heads 24 of theelements 23 into the channels 19 to the position shown in Figure 3. Thematerial of the elements 23 is sufiiciently resilient to permit theelements to bend somewhat as they are inserted or withdrawn through theenlargements26. This bending of the elements 23 for this purpose isshown clearly in Figure 4. It may be desirable to provide each element23 with a cover flange 27 which rides on the upper surface 28 of thewelt 14. This cover flange assists in providing a firm connectionbetween the upper and the welt 14. It will be observed that the fastenerelements 23 have an H shape cross section with the flange 27 isemployed. Extensions 30 of this H shape cross section may be providedwhich project forwardly from the fastener elements 23 to a position nearthe extreme forward end of the shoe. These extensions 30 may abut inend-to-end relation or may each engage the H shape center block 31 whichis fixed in position within the channel 19 by adhesives or other means.The purpose of these extensions 30 is to prevent the fastening elements23 of the unit 17 from sliding forward from their proper positions whilethe shoe is being worn. The extensions 30 may be connected integrallywith the fastening elements 23 or, if desired, may comprise separateunconnected filler pieces. Additional filler pieces of this H shapecross section may be mounted in the traverse track 19, if desired,between the locations of the fastening elements 23 in order to excludedust, dirt and foreign matter from the traverse track 19.

If desired, a lining member 32 may be mounted on the insole 13 andoverlap a portion of the hollow welt 14. The edge of this lining member32 may be contacted by the upper flange 27 of the fastening elements 23.As shown in Figure 3A, part of the material of the upper may, ifdesired, extend as a tab 33 under a portion of the lining member 32.This tab may be left free or may be cemented in place. Its purpose is toassist in preventing shifting of the fastening elements 23 along thetraverse track or channel 19.

Each of the upper sections 17 and 18 may be provided with a decorativecover 34 which may be formed of any suitable material for example,leather or cloth. The inner portion 35 is formed of leather or plasticmaterials and this serves as a lining for the upper sections. Theupwardly projecting portion 33 (Fig. of the fastening elements 23 arepermanently secured to the opposite ends of the lining by stapling,stitching or by means of adhesive materials. If the decorative material34 is formed of cloth it is desirable to employ a backing strip 34a,which is preferably formed of plastic material. The decorative cloth 34is attached by the purchaser to the backing strip 34a in the mannershown clearly in Figure 7. The lateral edges 34b of the decorative cloth34 encompass the edge of the plastic backing strip 34a. The lining 35 isthen attached to the lateral edges 34b and to the central portion of thebacking strip 34a by means of adhesive material. It will be understoodthat the lining 35 comprises a patterned base upon which decorativematerial can be attached by the purchaser, and that these patternedbases are equipped with the fastening elements 23 at the time ofpurchase. If the extensions 30 are for-med integrally with the fasteningelement 23, the length of these extensions will vary with the shoe size.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Figure 8, the base orplatform is provided with the hollow Welt 41 similar to welt 14. Anumber of tab fasteners 42 on the upper parts 43, 44 and 45 engage thetraverse track 46 in the welt 41. The construction of the traverse trackor chanel 46 and the construction of the attached tabs 42 issubstantially the same as that previously described. Enlargements 47 areprovided in the channel 46 for insertion and withdrawal of the varioustabs 42. H type filler strips may be employed, if desired, between thestraps of the upper to prevent undesired movement of the upper partsrelative to the welt 41, and to prevent entrance of dirt or otherforeign material into the channel 46.

In the modification shown in Figure 9, the attachment tabs are providedwith an upright fin 61 and a pair of outwardly directed flanges form anenlarged head 62. The head 62 is received within the cavity 63 withinthe welt 64. The fin 61 extends through the continuous narrow slot 65.This form of attachment tab is similar to that previously described withthe exception that the flanges 27 are omitted.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I donot wish to be limited to the details herein set forth but my inventionis of the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe having a detachable upper, comprising: a sole portion; aseparate hollow welt disposed substantially continuously around themargin of said sole portion and having an upper surface substantiallyflush with the upper surface of said sole portion, said hollow Welthaving at said upper surface flange portions extending toward each otherto provide a relatively wide channel and a continuous narrow slot, saidchannel opening only upwardly through said slot, said slot having aplurality of widened areas of limited extent along its length; and anupper shoe part having means at its opposed ends for attachment to saidwelt, said means for attachment including a shank narrower than saidslot and having an enlarged end portion Wider than said slot butinsertable through a selected one of said widened areas so as to beslidably received within said channel and restrained from removaltherefrom except through said widened areas.

2. The shoe defined by claim 1 in which said shank of said means forattachment of said upper shoe part to said welt has a flange extendinglaterally from each side thereof and spaced above said enlarged endportion of said shank a distance slightly greater than the thickness ofsaid flange portions of said hollow welt so that said enlarged endportion is received within said channel with said flange portions ofsaid welt being closely confined between said enlarged end portion andsaid laterally ex- I tending flanges of said shank.

3. The shoe defined by claim 1 in which said enlarged end portion ofsaid shank at each end of said upper shoe part extends beyond the marginof said upper shoe part to limit the sliding movement of said upper shoepart with respect to said hollow welt.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,368,314 Marx Jan. 30, 1945 2,552,943 Danielius May 15, 1951 FOREIGNPATENTS 233,835 Switzenlanld Nov. 16, 1944

